Fire I. Superintendent Is on the Right Track

Published: July 7, 2002

Each time they don't get everything they want, a small group of Fire Island homeowners stamp their feet and cry like a spoiled child having a temper tantrum [''Raw Nerves on Fire Island,'' June 23]. And, like the class troublemaker, they place all the blame on someone else, closing their eyes to reality.

The rift between the Fire Island Association, the New York Coastal Partnership et al. and the Fire Island National Seashore is an old and deep one. The National Park Service is charged with ''conserving and preserving'' the park ''for future generations,'' while these homeowners scream and cry to get unlimited access, costly beach engineering projects, and to be allowed to build and rebuild in a coastal hazard zone. Who is looking out for the taxpayers of this country and who is looking out only for themselves? The answer is obvious.

A national park does not operate like a monarchy with the superintendent as king. The rules and regulations are not developed in a vacuum. The National Park Service itself is subject to various governmental rules. And over the years, a lot of research has been done on beaches -- on Fire Island and elsewhere -- and this knowledge is also taken into account.

It's so childish to cry and scream for the removal of a park superintendent who does his job well. This game isn't new. Besides, much of what this small group is blaming Constantine Dillon, Fire Island National Seashore's current superintendent, for was in place or in progress before Mr. Dillon ever arrived on Fire Island.

I think Mr. Dillon deserves a medal for doing such a good job despite being constantly under attack. This is a park superintendent whom we should hang on to!